The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement. In winning the Gold Dagger and the £2,500 prize, William Brodrick joins a long and illustrious line stretching back to 1955 and The Little Walls by Winston Graham, now best known as the author of the Poldark novels.

The judges described A Whispered Name as “A moving novel that stretches the parameters of the crime genre, intertwining past and present and throwing light on a neglected aspect of World War One.” In accepting his award, William Brodrick said, “I find myself in the hinterland of speechlessness… I would like to dedicate the award to the memory of Harry Patch and the generation he came to represent.”

John Hart, the winner of the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and a £2,000 cheque is the Edgar-Award winning author of two international bestsellers, The King of Lies and Down River. The judges said that The Last Child, his third book, was, “An accomplished and ambitious piece of southern gothic. It is beautifully rendered, with a cast of memorable characters – full of pathos, atmosphere and mystery. A cracking and original story.”

Johan Theorin, the winner of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and a £1,000 cheque, said, “Britain is home to most of the greatest mystery writers in the world, from Conan Doyle, Christie and Creasey and up to all the fine writers who are still alive and active today – and as a Swede I couldn’t dream of competing with them. But to my big surprise and honour, I guess I have.” The judges described Echoes from The Dead as “a finely written intrigue… in which the island where the action takes place is as much a player in the drama as the people are.”

Philip Kerr, the author of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award-winning If The Dead Rise Not is the author of five other acclaimed Bernie Gunther novels and is acknowledged as one of today’s finest thriller writers. He learned of his success at a presentation ceremony held at Six Fitzroy Square, London on 29 October 2009.